Well let’s look at the first question: WHY? It’s simple, the old rig has seen better days, but it has filled your freezer and rewarded your needs very well, now how do you upgrade this rig without falling into a rut of new technology that you might not personally get along with, let’s face it there is some new technologies your personal style just might not match well with, mislead archers could jump to fast for something new and end up with “buyers remorse”. You could have bought it at the best blowout price, but this ends up to be a waste of hard earned cash.
Now comes the technical shopping list loaded with trade-offs…now you ask yourself “What am I gaining”…or better said, how do I strengthen my weak points I loved about my current bow and not weaken its primary strengths…yes again, technology always has trade-offs. But It’s simple, build a comparative list of “likes and dislikes” here is the big trick, the targeted new bow should really be at least a mirror image of your current bow design and if you can sneak in some upgrades from your dislike list that would be great, for example: getting a smoother draw cycle while maintaining the same arrow speed, momentum and energy… this is totally possible with new bow technology.
Here are some special points to look at when comparing your bow to the new technology offered
Grip: correct fit and feel to the size of your hand and does the manufacturer offer style variations in the grip?
Bow length: does it feel stable, too heavy or even too light?
Cam: does it offer a valley and wall needed for stable aiming, while allowing the ability to draw and let down smoothly?
Brace: does it offer clearance and performance?
My personal closing thoughts for the final answer…ounce you find the bow you are willing to lay down your hard earned cash for, make a personal appointment with your dealer so they can set up the draw weight and length to match your bow, shoot your current bow and the new bow side by side at close range without a sight to get the proper feel, then shoot them both though the chronograph to measure your performance gains, You will be a successful buyer.